Last Updated on January 26 2024, 2:51 pm

Formula One fans who have converted to the sport over the last decade know Mercedes AMG F1 as a team of winners. They hold the record for the most consecutive constructors’ champions racking up eight between 2014 and 2021. They also delivered seven consecutive drivers titles for Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, something never done before since the inaugural F1 season in 1950.

Yet the fall from grace of the Brackley based squad was spectacular. Having battled tooth and nail with Red Bull to deliver Lewis Hamilton his record breaking eight title three seasons ago, a new set of car design regulations have floored the tech team at Mercedes HQ with them, winning just one race in two seasons.

 

 

 

Questions remain over Mercedes capabilities

Much has been written about the W13/14 cars Mercedes produced following the huge regulation changes for 2022 and the team has openly admitted they will be binning the platform they believed would bring success and building a completely new car to challenge Red Bull and the rest in the coming season.

A significant amount of Mercedes success was born out of the new engine regulations which can into force in 2014. The Brixworth developed power unit was significantly superior to those developed by Ferrari and Renault and this advantage remained for much of the Mercedes’ dominant years.

Yet throughout Mercedes dominant years questions remained over the team’s ability do produce a chassis and aero package which can best the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull. Of course with the superior power unit this was not an issue but in the new F1 era is critical for the team to return to winning ways.

Building an entirely new car mid way through a set of FIA F1 design regulations is a risky business given that Red Bull and McLaren have stated their 2024 cars will be an evolution of those they raced last season.

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Wolff good news update on W15

Yet Toto Wolff is confident the W15 will perform better than its predecessors and could be the platform for one last tilt at the drivers’ title for Lewis Hamilton.

Speaking to The Telegraph, the Mercedes boss revealed he believes there is evidence the W15 produced by the Brackley engineers is already proving to be superior to last seasons car. Wolff revealed a conversation he had with the team’s most experienced simulator driver – and former F1 driver – Anthony Davidson – who has been testing the new chassis at a number of the early season circuits scheduled.

“He was driving Melbourne [in the sim]. And he said: ‘The car feels like a car for the first time in two years,’” reports Toto.

Davidson who also presents for Sky F1 TV has previously suggested, while simulation runs can deliver on expectations, when the physical car is then driven on the actual circuit, differences appear in terms of the data collected.

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Confidence met with caution from Toto

Wolff accepts caution is required despite the bullish W125 Melbourne simulation results. “Obviously I would love this to correlate to the track but we’ve seen in the last two years that this was not always the case.”

Given the W15 is not an evolution of last year’s car, its impossible to known whether the data is indeed revealing a true picture until the cars hit the track for testing in Bahrain now just over three weeks from now.

After three bruising seasons, Wolff has become more prudent in his predictions stating the team will retain a positive outlook regardless of the on track results.

“Always believe it’s possible,” said Wolff. “You cannot start the season with an attitude of, ‘This is not going to be possible.’ We saw last year with McLaren, what a huge step they made with a single upgrade.

“We’ve signed a two year deal with Lewis [Hamilton], and we owe it to him, to George [Russell] and to all the team to give it our full attention in 2024 and 2025. I think it’s possible.” 

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McLaren outscore Mercedes & Ferrari

McLaren offered hope up and down the grid that a team apparently lost in terms of their car design, can turn the situation around quickly as they proved in 2023. Having started the season with just 17 points from the first eight rounds, McLaren’s big upgrade for Austria saw them score more heavily than Aston Martin, Ferrari and Mercedes as the season progressed.

From round nine McLaren claimed 285 points, while Mercedes managed 242 points and Ferrari who finished the year strongly scored 284 points over the final 16 rounds of 2023.

McLaren’s team principal Andrea Stella revealed at the teams livery launch last week, the numbers coming from their engineers suggested there was a linear progression in terms of performance coming from the simulations of the 2024 car. Given the progress McLaren made from Austria and again in Singapore if true these numbers a re remarkable and will be tough for Mercedes to deliver from a standing start.

Should Mercedes find themselves behind Ferrari and McLaren in Bahrain it will be no surprise given the momentum towards the end of the season.

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Rumours of Toto quitting

Wolff and his team may have to dig deep off they find themselves fourth best, but the Mercedes chief claims after what some believed was a wobble he is bearing up well under the pressure.

As the Hamilton negotiations dragged on last season reports emerged that Wolff would be taking a back seat going forward. Toto even suggested he may not attend a number of races leaving his number two in charge.

Yet in a confidence boost for morale, Wolff finally signed a new contract which sees him remain as team principal until the end of 2026.

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Wolff admits boredom when not winning

“I’m part of this team in various functions,” Wolff commented. “I’m a co-shareholder. I’m on the board. These are things which will not change whatever executive, or non-executive, role I have.

“But I feel good. The risk for me is always more bore-out than burnout. And that’s why I embrace the challenges we have today, even though they sometimes feel very, very difficult to manage.” 

Mercedes will launch their new car on February 14th a day after Ferrari and the cars will be on track 7 days later at pre-season testing in Bahrain.

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